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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26938528">A Summer’s Journey</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/91bil/pseuds/91bil'>91bil</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>A3! (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Based on The Fool tarot card, Zine piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 16:42:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,018</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26938528</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/91bil/pseuds/91bil</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“My most precious memory,” he mumbled. “The one that soars the furthest…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>[ Misumi Ikaruga, the fool. </p>
<p>Misumi finds his most precious memory, and reminisces about how far he’s come. ]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>A3 Tarot Zine</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Summer’s Journey</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Each plane represents a memory,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dozens of paper planes circled the stage, spilling out onto the floor of the house, filling it with memories. Misumi sat in the middle of it all, a stack of papers to his left, and a pencil to his right. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Make sure to make a lot of them with Madoka, okay?” He continued on absentmindedly. The words were echoes of a memory he held long ago. He could still remember how his grandfather said it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He folded up a page of an old textbook. He didn’t really remember the school all that well, but the paper was nice, and it suited his needs. “Ehehe~! Go~!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Misumi tossed it towards the house and sat back as he watched it sail smoothly for a moment, only to nosedive into the front row. He cocked his head, and shrugged, expecting as much. School was never a pleasant memory anyway. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My most precious memory,” he mumbled. “The one that soars the furthest…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He tapped the pencil against his mouth absentmindedly, and penned a single word onto the paper. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Cats.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He remembers that fondly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He remembers when he first met the cats on Veludo Way. It was when he had first left his house. Lost in unfamiliar territory, scared and alone, he needed a place to live, or a friend to help him during these times. As he searched for one, he ended up finding both with their help.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he was at his loneliest, Mount Fuji crossed his path. Misumi lent him half his onigiri. Mount Fuji ate it, and gifted him a triangle rock in return. They were quick friends after that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Misumi would share any treats he got with him, and in turn, Mount Fuji gave him a tour of the streets. After a few weeks, Mount Fuji even introduced him to his friends. His group went from two to twenty after that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He folded the plane carefully and threw it with all his might. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It hit the ground before it could clear the second row of seats. He just smiled and moved on, grabbing another sheet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Finding MANKAI!’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>He wrote, humming as he did so. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> That had been thanks to the cats too. They led him around the town and showed him all the spots. One day, Onigiri pointed out an open window. Misumi spotted the triangle roof to go with it, and together, the group scaled the building, tumbling into the room on the second floor. They had fun exploring the building after that. It was abandoned it seemed, all the other rooms locked and dark. At one point, a man spotted him walking around and screamed, dropping a plate of what </span>
  <em>
    <span>looked </span>
  </em>
  <span>like curry. It tasted bad, but he accepted the offering. Mount Fuji shared it with the other cats. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t really see the guy after that. Sometimes onigiri would appear outside his door, accompanied by quiet prayers to a ghost Misumi never quite caught the name of. He wondered if he’d ever get to meet this roommate of his. He hoped they wouldn’t mind all his treasures.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This time the airplane made it halfway across the audience, landing neatly in the centre row. He held back a small laugh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah~... What’s next…” He thumbed through the stack before pulling out a flier for Water Me!. He smiled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was his first play. Everything happened so quickly back then, he never really stopped to think about it. More people moved into the dorms. They put on their own play. He was invited to join the second group when he was found. He finally understood what it felt like to be on stage, heart pounding from excitement, the audience’s passion reaching his own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gramps,” He whispered, holding the flier close. “I hope you’re proud of me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t throw this one, simply dropping it into his lap. He knew it would’ve soared further than all the others so far. He didn’t need to test it to try. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They would always be with him, he learned. He wouldn’t have to be lonely anymore with them by his side. He wrote another word in the corner of the page. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Found.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Memories came easier after that. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fireworks, snowball fights, amusement parks, Halloween, , triangles, Captain Sky Pirate. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Each was important to him in their own ways. Each held one of his most precious memories, feelings he wanted to hold with him forever. He found his place in MANKAI. His home. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Misumi stared at all the planes surrounding him. Not all of them contained writing on them. Some were left blank, the paper itself holding the memory, while others were better off unspoken, the memory leaving a  bittersweet taste in his mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pulled one more sheet of paper close to him. He had one more memory to make, one more promise to test. He put the pencil to the page, and smiled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll make paper airplanes with Madoka again. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>We’ll make memories together.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a promise he intended to keep. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a promise that he’d do his best to be a brother Madoka could be proud of. A promise that their journeys together weren’t over yet. It was the promise that Misumi would one day go home again, face his brother, and tell him how much he loves him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was the most important promise to Misumi Ikaruga. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So he stood up, and he reared his arm back, and let it soar. He expected it to stop at the door, the theatre’s walls only being able to contain it for so long, but as he watched it fly, the door swung open, and the plane slipped through.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uwah!” Misumi gasped. Kazunari ducked his head, eyes going wide. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah! Sumi!” He looked over. “Careful!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Misumi just smiled and nodded. “Ehehe, sorry Kazu~. Is it time to practice?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He watched as Kazunari nodded back, flashing an even brighter smile. Misumi jumped off the stage and bounded towards the door, looking around the lobby. The plane was nowhere in sight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Madoka, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought, following Kazunari out the doors, </span>
  <em>
    <span>our journeys are just beginning, ‘kay? Wait for me.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you enjoyed~! This piece is part of the A3 Tarot Zine, which can be found here! Please check it out!! All of the writers and artists put a lot of work into it! </p>
<p>https://twitter.com/A3Tarot/status/1314953130023563264?s=19</p></blockquote></div></div>
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